A technique for controlling the cell elongation of plants with a reduced application of chemical retarding agents is known within the art as drought stress. The reduction of the application of chemical retarding agents is highly desirable from an environmental point of view. Furthermore the durability of plants in which the growth has been retarded by the application of drought stress has been shown to be improved [1]. [1] Lise Anderson, Michelle H. Williams: “Hold igen med vandingen ” Gartner tidende, bind 116, nr. 48, p.20–22, (2000).
One of the problems with the application of a traditional cultivation substrate such as peat moss in connection with the application of the technique of drought stress is the following:
The majority of pot plants commercially produced are grown in a traditional cultivation substrate such as peat moss. However peat moss suffers from a number of disadvantages which are especially serious in connection with the conditions prevailing under drought stress. Specifically the ability of peat moss to absorb water is reduced when the moisture content of the peat moss is low. Consequently it becomes in practice difficult to approach the drought limit because this reduced ability to absorb water may prevent the driest plants from receiving water at all. A consequence of these watering problems is that the uniformity of the plants is reduced and hence an increased waste of plants in a production is generally the result.
A typical problem in connection with watering of pot plants especially by the customer furthermore results from an excessively large supply of water resulting in the formation of a layer of water at the bottom of the flower pot and associated flower pot saucer. In this case the roots of the plant in the pot will suffer from suffocation due to a lack of sufficient air supply to the roots. It would thus be advantageous to provide a bottom portion in the flower pot into which portion the roots of the plant does not penetrate, the thickness of this bottom portion being for Instance equal to or larger than the depth of an associated flower pot saucer.